


Trials and Lessons

by LessAttitudeMoreAltitude



Series: 2018 Whumptober [7]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Child Abuse, Drabbles, Gen, Kidnapping, Multi-Chapter Drabble, Recovery, So much angst, Torture, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-03 13:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16326734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LessAttitudeMoreAltitude/pseuds/LessAttitudeMoreAltitude
Summary: Caleb is kidnapped by bounty hunters who want to use him for ransom.Whumptober prompts:1. Kidnapped2. Electrocution3. Hostage4. Concussion5. Bedridden6. Exhaustion





	1. Kidnapped

“Why don’t we just kill him now?”

The Mandalorian whacked the Sullustan over the head. “Use your damned head! A dead Padawan gets us nothing but angry Jedi on our tail!”

“And a live one doesn’t?”

The Mandalorian looked down at Caleb. “Jedi do anything for their younglings. They’ll pay up if it means they get him back unharmed. At least… relatively unharmed.”

Caleb kept his expression blank. He had given up trying to get out of the cuffs. They had some special device that shocked him every time he tried to access the Force. He had no idea such a technology even existed. 

But for now, he was going to just sit here and not react. He needed to stay calm, keep himself empty of emotion. He wasn’t trembling because he was afraid. He was just cold. Why was this ship so ridiculously cold…?

The bounty hunters continued to argue, and Caleb once again started internally beating himself up. How did he get into this mess? He was a Jedi. He was better than this!

The handcuffs sparked and suddenly white hot pain shot up his arms and through his chest. Caleb let out a loud yelp, his body seizing. 

It stopped as soon as it started. He curled up on the floor and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe through the pain. He hadn’t used the Force, so why…?

The Mandalorian laughed. “Did you see how the baby Jedi writhed?!” He was full-belly laughing, like it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. 

“If the Jedi care so much for their Padawans… why do they put them out in the middle of a war so young?” the Sullustan asked, sounding genuinely thoughtful. 

Caleb grit his teeth. He might be young, but had already proven himself! He wasn’t just some kid!

“Who cares?” the Mandalorian replied. “Makes it easier for us. It’s not like we would have been able to nab ourselves a  _ real _ Jedi.”

Caleb bit his lip as shame curdled in his stomach. A real Jedi would have escaped by now. Better yet, a real Jedi wouldn’t have stumbled into such an obvious trap.

He let out a small sigh. He supposed he really wasn't a true Jedi.


	2. Electrocution

“I-I think you should stop now…”

“Oh lighten up. It’s not like it can kill him…”

Caleb couldn’t help the small whimper that escaped his throat. Honestly, in this very moment, death sounded okay. 

They were in some abandoned building on some planet. Evidently, isolated enough that no one could hear Caleb’s screams. Or maybe they just didn’t care. Either way, Caleb was all alone with a sadist Mandalorian and his coward Sullustan partner. 

It sounded like they had already sent some sort of ransom out. How and for how much, Caleb had no idea. He could only hope that someone would pay it. Somehow, Master Billaba would get the message and come get him. 

There was the beep of a button being pressed, and agony ripped through Caleb’s body. A harsh scream tore his throat as he convulsed against the duracrete. The pain was igniting every nerve his body, somehow only getting more intense and as the electricity continued to pulse through him. His screams turned into chokes, lodged in his throat as the pain went on, never stopping, was it going to stop, oh gods please make it stop…!

Then it did. Caleb was left shaking and panting, his vision blurred. He hardly took notice of anything except how every single muscle was aching and his head was pounding with every heartbeat. In the very edge of his perception, he thought he could hear whimpering, but he had no idea where it was coming from. He just wanted to fall unconscious. Why couldn’t he go to sleep now?

“Vix,  _ really _ , the kid’s had enough…”

Something hard nudged Caleb’s side, making him moan. There was a low chuckle. “Pathetic…”

There was another beep, and Caleb’s awareness was once again consumed by white hot pain.


	3. Hostage

Caleb hardly knew what was happening anymore. He just wanted to be left alone, left to fall unconscious and forget the universe existed for just a little bit.

But that wasn’t happening. All he knew was that someone was holding him roughly by his cuffs, and there was a cold piece of durasteel pressed to his temple. The person was shouting, painfully in his ears. He couldn’t process the words, but they were shaking him and pressing the durasteel harder and harder against his skull. It made Caleb want to vomit.

There were also other voices. Familiar voices, but farther away. Caleb wanted to walk to them. Crawl to them. Float to them. Really, anything that got him away from this shouting person yanking on his cuffs and hurting his head.

Then he heard something else. The buzz and hum of a lightsaber. Caleb tried to get himself to focus, to grasp the meaning of that sound. His vision still blurry, he could only make out a brown mass with a comforting green glow next to it.

“You’ve made a grave error, bounty hunter.” The voice was female, and filled Caleb with relief, but he wasn’t sure why.

That was when the lightsaber hum got louder and beat through the air. The hands and durasteel disappeared, and Caleb crumbled to the floor with a pained grunt. His entire body ached and trembled. It had landed on the ground in an uncomfortable position, but he didn’t have the energy to fix it.

A pair of small but strong hands turned him over and pulled his body against theirs. He let out a small moan.

“Shh, padawan...”

His cuffs were suddenly broken off. The Force wrapped around him, and a melodious hum circled around his head. “M-Master…” he whimpered.

“Shh…” She stroked his hair back, holding him close. “You’re safe now. You’re safe…”


	4. Concussion

Caleb was finally asleep. It was so peaceful and restful that he was understandably upset when someone shook him back awake. “I-I just wanna sleep…” he moaned. His body ached and his head felt like it was splitting open. **  
**

“I know,” Grey said quietly. “But you have a concussion.”

Caleb frowned. “A concussssion…?”

Grey nodded. “Yeah. You hit your head pretty badly when that bounty hunter scum…” He gritted his teeth together. “... shocked you.”

The sight of Grey visibly angry was foreign to Caleb. He was usually so in control of his emotions, like Master Billaba.

“Medic says we gotta wake you up every couple hours,” Grey went on, keeping his voice even. “Make sure you’re not suffering brain damage.”

“Oh.” He looked up at Grey. “W-Where’s Master?” he slurred.

Grey’s eyes darkened. “The General has some things to take care of. Paperwork and the like.”

Caleb nodded slowly, though something about the statement didn’t seem quite right. He tried to dig through his memories. When had his Master ever done paperwork? Was Grey hiding something?

No. Caleb immediately dismissed the notion. That didn’t make any sense. It must just be his concussion. He wasn’t thinking straight. He closed his eyes again, sleep beckoning him

“What’s your name?”

Caleb frowned again, squinting his eyes open. ‘“W-What?”

“I gotta ask you some questions and check your memory.”

Caleb whimpered. “I just wanna sleep...”

“I know, kid.” Grey put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it comfortably.

“‘M not a kid…”

Grey let out a soft chuckle. “So what’s your name?”

With a tired sigh, Caleb managed to roll his eyes. It hurt his head, but it was worth it. “Caleb Dume.”

The clone held up his hand. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“... four.”

“And who’s the current chancellor?”

“Sheev Palpatine,” Caleb muttered.

Grey smiled, giving his shoulder another squeeze. “Alright. You can go back to sleep now.”

Caleb nodded gratefully, closing his eyes. “Thanks, Grey…”

“Of course, Commander.”

Caleb smiled, easily falling into blissful unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't realize how much I crave more Caleb and Grey scenes until I wrote this. Grey always seemed like and interesting character.


	5. Bedridden

"I hate everything about this,” Caleb said evenly.

His master chuckled. “I know, Caleb.”

Between the neural knitter and what Mixx had deemed a ‘suitable amount of rest’, he was basically recovered from his concussion. Unfortunately, he was still suffering negative effects from the Mandalorian shocking him over and over again. Uncontrolled muscle spasms, short bouts of unmanageable pain that the pain relievers didn’t seem to touch… Much to Caleb’s annoyance and frustration, there was no easy fix for these except even more damned rest.

“Try not to focus on what your body feels,” Master Billaba advised. “Meditate. Focus on the Force and the life around you.”

Caleb squirmed uncomfortably in his bed. “I’ve tried…” he said softly, his cheeks burning in shame.

His master placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright. Try again. This time, I can help you.” Her tone held no judgement.

He was about to respond when a muscle in his back spasmed painfully. With a low moan, Caleb tried to reach back and rub the spasm out.

But Master Billaba - keeping a gentle hand on his shoulder - placed her fingers on the muscle and pressed down hard. He let out a loud groan. It was painful, but a moment later the spasm faded and Caleb relaxed in relief.

He glanced up at his master and was surprised to see strange expression on her face. He had never seen such a look on her before. “Master…?” he asked hesitantly.

Then it was gone. “Yes, Caleb?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he murmured. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “You-You were going to help me meditate…?” he said hesitantly.

Master Billaba nodded. “Yes.” She took his hands. “Close your eyes and breathe with me.”

Caleb nodded and closed his eyes, focusing on his master’s Force signature. It was like a soft melody slowly wrapping around him, safe and warm. He breathed evenly, and let the Force flow through him. His sense stretched out beyond his master. He could sense Grey and Styles right outside, Mixx and another being he didn’t recognize a little further out… He could even feel the small rodents and insects in the walls.

There was so much to the galaxy outside of his own body and suffering. As long as he had the Force, he was never alone.


	6. Exhaustion

“This sucks…” Caleb murmured, leaning against the wall.

“We can take a break if you need, Commander,” Grey offered.

Caleb shook his head, forcing himself to stand up straight. “I-I’m good…”

Grey put a hand on his shoulder. “There’s no shame in needing help, kid.”

“I said I’m fine!” Caleb shrugged his hand off. “And don’t call me kid!”

The clone gazed down at Caleb with a flat expression. They continued walking on in silence. Well, silent save for Caleb’s labored breathing. 

“That’s it…” Grey said. “We’re taking a break.”

“I said… I was… fine…” Caleb panted.

Grey sighed. “I don’t want to have to order you, sir…”

“You… don’t… outrank me!”

“No, but the general does.”

Caleb pursed his lips together. “Fine,” he growled, sitting down on the ground with an explosive sigh. Grey sat across from him, placing his blaster across his lap. Once he caught his breath, Caleb shook his head in frustration. “I should be better by now…” he muttered.

“You were only released from the medbay yesterday,” Grey pointed out.

Caleb crossed his arms across his chest. That was true, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating for him.

Grey let out a small sigh. “We’re a team,” he said. “That means we need to rely and depend on one another if we want to survive and win.”

Internally cringing, Caleb’s shoulders slumped. As it was, he would be the weakest link on the battlefield. “I’ll get better,” he promised. “You’ll be able to count on me.”

But Grey shook his head. “You misunderstand what I’m saying. We all depend on each other. Which means  _you_  can depend on  _us_. We would die for each other. Helping one of our own when they’re down and a little scuffed is nothing. That’s what it means to be brothers-in-arms.”

“I-I know…” Caleb said quietly.

Grey stood up and slung his blaster over his shoulder before offering his hand to Caleb. “I hope you do.”

Caleb took the hand and allowed Grey to hoist him up. Once he was steady on his feet again, Grey gazed down the path for a moment, looking pained. “We failed,” he said quietly. “First General Billaba, then you…” He turned back and made eye contact with Caleb. “I promise we won’t fail you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sigh* Grey was criminally underused in canon...


End file.
